The 25 Biggest Defense Companies In
America
Eloise Lee and Robert Johnson | Mar. 13,
2012
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/top-25-us-defense-companies-2012-2##ixzz1uKaxrKqH
President
Eisenhower warned of the rise of the military industrial complex in his 1961
farewell address.
It's
impossible to know for sure if he was thinking of companies like these, selling
about $235 billion in arms every year, but it's possible.
Making
weapons has become a
The following numbers are put together by SIPRI based on numbers from 2010, rank in terms of sales, and offer an unbiased view of how big a business war has become.
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/top-25-us-defense-companies-2012-2##ixzz1uKXSZfkF
|
US
Army Ordnance Dept. poster (Minnesota Historical Society) |
President
Eisenhower warned of the rise of the military industrial complex in his 1961
farewell address.
It's
impossible to know for sure if he was thinking of companies like these, selling
about $235 billion in arms every year, but it's possible.
Making
weapons has become a
The
following numbers are put together by SIPRI based on
numbers from 2010, rank in terms of sales, and offer an unbiased view
of how big a business
war has become.
#25
CACI International
Global satellite communications equipment supports military
intelligence.
Arms sales: $2.3
billion
Total profit: $107
million
Employees: 13,100
people
While
CACI International doesn't make
weapons, they supply the
The TROJAN satellite
communication systems provide the Army with a global network of shared
mission-critical intelligence.
Source:
SIPRI
#24
Goodrich
ACES II Aircrew Escape System
Arms sales: $2.2
billion
Total profit: $579
million
Employees: 16,300
people
Goodrich
is yet another company to get a piece of the F-35 Lightning II cake. They work
on the fighter aircraft's landing system.
The
#23
DynCorp International
DI personnel unload a propeller to be put on an Army CH-47D Chinook
Arms sales: $2.4
billion
Total profit: $9
million
Employees: 23,000
people
DynCorp International provides
logistical support to the
In
They are also involved with supporting air operations and have big contracts
with the Department of Defense to maintain rotary and fixed-wing aircraft for
all
Source: SIPRI
#22
Navistar Defense
flikr/james_gordon_los_angeles
Arms sales: $2.4
billion
Total profit: $223
million
Employees: 18,700
people
Navistar Defense is all about
military-strength trucks and engines.
Their
MaxxPro (Maximum Protection) product line includes MRAP
(Mine Resistant Ambush Protection) vehicles used by the
#21
ManTech
ManTech expertise covers ground, airborne and space
systems.
Arms sales: $2.5
billion
Total profit: $125
million
Employees: 10,100
people
ManTech serves
the United States government's advanced technological needs, from maintaining
military surveillance systems to detecting incoming attacks on bases. They're a
leading provider of C41SR technology.
The
company started off in 1968 by developing the
#20
Hewlett-Packard
Arms sales: $2.6
billion
Total profit: $8.7
billion
Employees: 324,600
people
They
do more than office supplies and printers.
Hewlett-Packard (HP) is the creator of the Navy Marine
Corps Intranet which connects more than 700,000 military and civilian
employee accounts, facilitating secure defense communications.
It's network size is second only to the
Internet itself.
#19
Textron
Soldiers loading a OH-58D Kiowa Warrior
helicopter
flikr/Fort
Wainwright Public Affairs Office
Arms sales: $2.7
billion
Total profit: $86
million
Employees: 32,000
people
Textron owns a number of successful brands, such as Bell Helicopters, Cessna Aircraft Company, and Textron Systems, known for drones and
armored vehicles.
They are the makers of the OH-58D Kiowa
Warrior helicopter, which the
#18
Rockwell Collins
Arms sales: $2.9
billion
Total profit: $561
million
Employees: 20,000
people
Rockwell Collins focuses on
navigation, communications, and aviation electronics - anything from a helmet-mounted
device to a flight deck display on the colossal C-130
tanker transport aircraft.
As a
big customer, the
#17
ATK
5.56mm M855 small caliber ammunition
Arms sales: $2.9
billion
Total profit: $313
million
Employees: 15,000
people
Known
as ATK,
this defense company is the largest
provider of ammunition to the
From
the
The
#16
URS
U.S. Army aviation personnel are trained at Fort
Rucker,
Arms sales: $3
billion
Total profit: $288
million
Employees: 47,000
people
URS is a world leader in
the disposal of weapons of mass destruction.
They
partner with Raytheon (#5) in the Joint, Test, Tactics, and Training (JT3) program which supports the testing and
training for weapons systems such as the F-35 Lightning we keep mentioning
URS
also oversees the U.S. military's Basic Combat Skills Training Course, and are
responsible for training aviators from the Army, Air Force, NATO and
more than 30 other
You'll
be seeing much more of URS around the world, as they're also behind the design
of all future
#15
KBR
A Blue Angels pilot over
flikr/Official
U.S. Navy Imagery
Arms sales: $3.3
billion
Total profit: $327
million
Employees: 35,000
people
KBR's
defense portfolio focuses on base operations support and maintenance
services to military facilities and equipment. The U.S. Navy had KBR lead recovery
and repair efforts after Hurricane Ivan destroyed parts of Naval Air
Station Pensacola, Florida, in September 2004.
They're
also involved in homeland security, providing systems to help secure borders.
#14
ITT Exelis
ITT technology is used for mission critical communications
Arms sales: $4
billion
Total profit: $654
million
Employees: 40,000
people
The
corporation's defense branch is called Exelis and is currently partnered
with Boeing in a competition to develop the U.S. military's Next
Generation Jammer (NGJ) array transmitter technology.
The
NGJ program aims to give
The
company also develops the Joint
Tactical Radio System's Bowman Waveform, which allows
#13
Pratt & Whitney
The F135 engine in all its glory.
Arms sales: $4
billion
Total profit: Contributed
to parent company United Technologies' $4.7 billion
Employees: 35,000
people
Pratt & Whitney produces
military engines and is responsible for the F135
engine in Lockheed Martin's F-35 Lightning II strike fighter plane, which is slated
to be the Allied
fighter of the 21st century.
The
company also has engines in the F-22 Raptor, the C-17 Globemaster III, the B-52, and the EA-6B
Prowler among other aircrafts. Their impressive client list includes
27 armed forces around the world.
#12
General Electric
Electronic warfare specialists from the British Armed Forces
Arms sales: $4.3
billion
Total profit: $11.6
billion
Employees: 287,000
people
General
Electric makes electronic warfare its business. The company's defense
program is focusing on military
communications systems that meet the modern threat of hacking and network
sabotage.
They
also design products that protect both military systems and the people
operating them. The IPS5100 can be used in armored vehicles to give
troops 360° situational
awareness with the help of panoramic imagery that can be manipulated by
touch screen, joystick and game-style controller. Operators can
"interact" with the imagery and have eyes on the theatre of operation
while staying protected in-vehicle.
#11
Honeywell
Chinook helicopters deliver supplies to frontline troops
Arms sales: $5.4
billion
Total profit: $2
billion
Employees: 130,000
people
Honeywell's military arm supplies
engine parts for anything from the Abrams M1 Main
Battle Tank (General Dynamics) and the CH-47 Chinook
(Boeing) helicopter, to weapons systems designed by other defense companies that
made this list.
Name
any
Honeywell
also comes up with covert solutions for guided weapons when relying on GPS is
out of the question. Bottom line is: they make military stuff work.
#10
Computer Sciences Corp
CSC supports
Arms sales: $6
billion
Total profit: $759
million
Employees: 91,000
people
With
a focus on technology-based solutions, the CSC's aerospace and defense sector
is booming. Among its portfolios, it is responsible for training and simulation
services for the
In
January this year, the
The
#9 Oshkosh
Keeping pace with rapidly moving forces.
Arms sales: $7
billion
Total profit: $790
million
Employees: 12,400
people
Oshkosh Truck's defense branch is
responsible for delivering severe-duty tactical and armored vehicles.
The
#8
SAIC
SAIC cyber defense services detect and counter e-attacks
Arms sales: $8.2
billion
Total profit: $618
million
Employees: 43,400
people
SAIC's national security sector provides the
Department of Defense, the FBI and other
The SAIC Force Protection Suite, an integrated surveillance system, is
used by
#7
United Technologies
Black Hawk helicopters serving the
Arms sales: $11.4
billion
Total profit: $4.7
billion
Employees: 208,220
people
United Technologies' military services
business is most noted for the UH-60
Black Hawk helicopter, manufactured by subsidiary Sikorsky Aircraft.
The
corporation also develops technology for aerospace and building
industries.
#6
L-3 Communications
SPYDR is an Intelligence, Surveillance, and
Reconnaissance (ISR) beast.
Arms sales: $13
billion
Total profit: $95.5
million
Employees: 63,000
people
The
company's C3ISR
(Command, Control, Communications, Intelligence, Surveillance and
Reconnaissance) solutions are used by all branches of the
L-3 Communications says their small manned
airborne intelligence-gathering platform, aptly
named SPYDR, is the most versatile and inescapable in the world. It casts a
"web" that captures mission-critical intelligence about its targets
and delivers the information in real time.
#5
Raytheon
Raytheon's guided missile system.
Arms sales: $23
billion
Total profit: $1.9
billion
Employees: 46,900
people
Raytheon's sectors of expertise are
missiles and electronics.
Their
intelligence and information systems are used by the Missile Defence Agency, NASA, the Department of Defense and even
the
#4
General Dynamics
The Abrams M1 Main
Arms sales: $24
billion
Total profit: $2.6
billion
Employees: 90,000
people
General Dynamics produces military
vehicles such as the legendary Abrams M1 Main
Battle Tank, as well as ships, munitions, and military-grade communication
systems.
The
company has also been awarded an $8 million dollar contract
for work on
#3
Northrop Grumann
Crew working inside the E-2C Hawkeye, the
"eyes" of the
Arms sales: $28
billion
Total profit: $2
billion
Employees: 117,100
people
Northrop
Grumann's areas of focus include drones and cyber
security in support of its homeland security solutions.
They
also develop CBRNE (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosives)
detection systems in place around the
The
corporation recently pledged to further deepen its commitment to
hiring former service members, in partnership with President Obama's Joining
Forces initiative to integrate more veterans into the civilian workforce.
#2
Boeing
Air Force One, the most recognized symbol of the
Arms sales: $31.4
billion
Total profit: $2.9
billion
Employees: 160,500
people
The
military arm of Boeing's
business is most known for the Global Strike military
aircraft program.
It
supplies the
The
#1
Lockheed Martin
The F35-A test fleet stationed at Edwards Air Force
Base.
Arms sales: $35.7
billion
Total profit: $2.9 billion
Employees: 132,000
people
Lockheed Martin's
main weapons system is the F-35 joint strike fighter, expected to become one of
the world's largest military aircraft programs.
In expanding their F-35 program, Lockheed Martin opened a manufacturing facility in
Pinellas Park, Florida, to develop parts for the F-35 Lightning II fighter.
Many
of the products produced by these companies are available nowhere else in the
world
BAE
Check
out 11 incredible weapons only America has >
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/top-25-us-defense-companies-2012-2?op=1#ixzz1uKXtpZod
11 Incredible Weapons
That Only America
Robert Johnson | Nov. 10, 2011,
|
BAE |
The Soviets exploded their first nuclear weapon in
1949.
But
there are still some weapons the rest of the world doesn't have.
Weapons
like the MQ9 Reaper Drone, the Laser Avenger and the ADAPTIV cloaking give
Some
of these weapons have been around for several years but were recently modified,
and some are still in production.
MQ9
Reaper Drone
Manufactured by: General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI)
Release date: 2001
The
Reaper has been around for over 10 years, but was used largely for intelligence
and reconnaissance until recently.
Today,
squadrons of F-16's are being transitioned into fully unmanned drone fleets.
The
Reaper is the largest of the UAV's in the
The
drone climbs up to 52,000 feet, and reads a license plate from over two
miles away. Capable of carrying 500 pound bombs, air-to-ground, and
air-to-air missiles the UAV fleet is poised to perform the lion's share of
American air support.
As of
March 2011 the Air Force has more
personnel training to operate its burgeoning drone fleet than for any other
weapon system in its arsenal.
AA12
Atchisson Assault Shotgun
defense review
Manufactured by: Maxwell Atchisson
Release date: 2005
The
AA12 can fire five 12-gauge shells per second and because the recoil is
engineered at just 10 percent a normal shotgun, it can be fired from the hip
with only one hand.
The Atchisson also fires a high explosive or fragmentation
grenade called a FRAG-12 round to 175 meters with equal efficiency.
Designed
for long-term combat use, tests have shown the AA12 can fire up to 9,000 rounds
without being cleaned or jamming.
All
the user needs to do is hold the trigger down for four seconds to empty the 20
round drum at a target.
ADAPTIV
Invisibility cloak makes tanks disappear
BAE
Manufactured by: BAE Systems
Release date: 2013
Developed
and patented in
A
tank, for example, can be made to look like a car. These
pictures show both the combat vehicle disappearing and reshaping itself
into the outline of an automobile.
PHASR
Rifle
Manufactured by: the
Department of Defense (DOD)
Release date: 2007
The
Personnel Halting and Stimulation Response (PHASR)
rifle is a handheld laser array, called a dazzler, capable of blinding and
disorienting anyone caught in its sights.
While
weapons to cause blindness were sagely restricted by the 1995 United Nations
Protocol on Blinding Laser Weapons (a ruling the
Dazzlers
were originally mounted devices to
The
PHASR uses a green laser array to calculate its targets distance and ensure its
non-blinding intensity.
The Taser Shockwave
Manufactured by: TASER
Release date: 2008
The Taser model will electrocute a crowd of people at the touch
of a button.
Creating
an "area of
denial" the Taser can be stacked up and
strung together almost indefinitely. It will also mount to any vehicle.
The
Shockwave has an effective distance of 25 feet and can be seen in action on
this company video at Gizmodo.
The
Black Knight
Manufactured by: BAE Systems (BA.L)
Release date: 2008
The
Black Knight is a combination remote controlled tank and forward scouting
vehicle, designed for situations too risky for manned vehicles.
To
keep costs low, the Black Knight shares a weapons systems and engine parts with
the manned Bradley Fighting vehicle. Including a 30mm cannon,
machine gun and 300 horsepower engine.
The
vehicle is also fitted with autonomous navigation software and can design and
follow its own
routes without input from an outside source.
The
Active Denial System
Manufactured by: Raytheon
(RTN)
Release date: 2008
Dubbed
The
ADS shoots a stream of electromagnetic waves, shorter than microwaves, which
are instantly absorbed by the top layer of skin.
The
pain is so intense, the reaction to run from the beams so overpowering, the military
calls it the "Goodbye
Weapon."
The
ADS has been used domestically, both on test subjects and prison inmates. It
was deployed to
The
military claims there are no lingering effects from exposure.
The
Laser Avenger
Boeing
Manufactured by: Boeing (BA)
Release date: 2009
Only
a few centimeters in diameter and invisible to the naked eye, the Avenger's
laser is 20 times hotter than an electric stove top and will cut through
artillery shells with ease.
The
Avenger was designed with the hope of effectively detonating the Improvised
Explosive Devices (IEDs) that inflict more damage on
American forces than any other weapon.
Current
disposal methods involve a version of the MAARS robot that insurgents will bomb
to take out of action.
The
Avenger is also being
tested to take down aerial vehicles.
MAARS
Robot (Modular Advanced Armed Robotic System)
QinetiQ
Manufactured
by: QinetiQ - QQ
Release date: 2009
The
MAARS Robot is a modified remote control, bomb disposal robot.
Customizable
to various needs, the MAARS can be configured with either an
MB240 machine gun and 40mm grenade launcher, or a loudspeaker and eye dazzling
laser, or bean bag guns, smoke, and pepper spray.
To
date, no shots have been fired in combat by a remote device like the MAARS.
XM2010
Enhanced Sniper Rifle
Manufactured by: Remington
Release date: 2010-2011
The
product of a long string of modifications to the 22 year-old M24 sniper rifle,
the XM2010 is designed specifically to be effective in the high altitude long
distance fighting in
To
provide quiet, pinpoint accuracy at up to 1200 meters the XM2010 carries more
gun powder in the bullets it fires, has a flash suppressor, sound suppressor,
and a thermal sleeve to hide the warm barrel from FLIR.
When
U.S. Snipers graduate from the five-week school at Fort Benning,
Ga. they are capable of hitting a man-sized target nine out of ten times at 600
meters — over a third of a mile away.
XM25
Individual Airburst Weapon System (IAWS)
Manufactured by: Heckler
& Koch
Release date: 2014
Dubbed
"The Punisher" by American forces in
But,
the distance isn't what impressed soldiers involved in the live trial of the
weapon — it was the grenade programming.
A
targets distance is transmitted by a rangefinder in the XM25 to the grenade in
the firing chamber. When the grenade leaves the barrel it is spiraling, like a
football, and measures the distance it's traveled by the number of spirals it
completes.
The
detonation can be manually programmed within 10 meters to hit enemy in bunkers
or behind barriers.
A
platoon leader commented in an Army
Times article: "Engagements that typically take 15 to 20 minutes were
over in a matter of minutes.”
China
Check
out this quick guide to the Chinese military triple threat >
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/11-incredible-weapons-that-only-america-has-2011-9?op=1#ixzz1uKYuu5Jg